Archive for the 'Art' Category

We're Not Just Digital

05.17.13

The city was buzzing with art fairs last weekend with the Frieze show headlining at Randall's Island. We were invited to the Young Curators preview of Pulse last week and it did not disappoint.

Pulse signage
Alicia Ross_1
Alicia Ross- needlepoint
Bustle_byVictoriaGaitån copy
Victoria Gaitan
MilesAldridge
MichaelZelehoski
Speaking of sexy... check out Miles Aldridge's surreal and beautifully colorful fashion photography. He just launched a new book (as held by artist/friend, Michael Zelehoski. Completely inspired for our upcoming bebe campaign.
Michael Zelehoski_work
Michael Zelehoski's work is incredible. He's a master creative craftsman and uses found wood to create 2-dimensional optical illusion-type pieces with unusual perspectives. From a distance, they appear 3-Dimensional.
 Check out more of Michael's work at  http://www.michaelzelehoski.com/
EmilAlzamora2
Michael introduced us to a wonderful sculptor that was also exhibiting at Pulse, Emil Alzamora.  Emil transforms digital images into sculptures. 
Basquiat_byTsengKwongChi
Basquiat/Warhol print by Tseng Kwong Chi.
GreggLouis
Gregg Louis' Inkling No. 2 sculpture was looking at us. We see you Inkling.
 
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Vintage Photography Project from Irina Werning

02.14.11

I came across a great photography project today! Well, ok, I didn't find it myself... in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I will admit that my wonderful boyfriend found it for me.

Photographer Irina Werning is paying homage to old family photos by recreating them as precisely as possible. She has not only meticulously paired people with the same background and costumes from their childhood photos, but she's even duplicated the effects of old film and developing processes. One of the things that interests me most is how the project really highlights the differences between childhood and adulthood. For some reason it's ok for a little girl to pose smiling with an accordion wearing only a bowtie while her sister looks on, but when that girl grows up and recreates the scene as an adult, the exact same situation looks obscene. Take a look at the Back to the Future project and see for yourself.

Irinia Werning

Irinia Werning

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A New Way To Look At (And Listen To) Subway Travel

02.7.11

MTA-html

As a New York City resident, I understand the plight of the plebe. No matter the day, no matter the hour, no matter the distance, the subway is my mode of transport.

As an employee of RJWCollective, I implicitly understand aesthetics. This melodic web page, brainchild of Brooklynite Alexander Chen, a combination of delicate artistry, metropolitan musicality and MTA magic, displays actual live feeds of real train data (unlike 24, though, it’s not in real time, thankfully).  In this world, time accelerates, so a 24-hour MTA train cycle passes in minutes. As the trains intersect, a cello is plucked, and we’re treated to some smooth jazz. Open a few of these tabs and you can really grind.

That’s not even the most remarkable part, though! Chen’s artistic integrity and devotion to accuracy takes the cake in that department; longer train lines make lower notes than shorter ones, just as an actual cello would.

And, as a bit of a tech-nerd, I feel the need to commend him on his impressive use of HTML5 Canvas. As early examples of how to best use this new medium go, you could do worse. For more info on Chen’s inspiration and how he built the site, check out his blog.

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that my middle name is Alexander. What’s a Toby blog post without a little self-promotion?

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Maghreb Marketing

12.17.10

Waaaaaay back in the Spring of Aught-Eight (2008, for you youngins), I departed my beloved America to live and study in Morocco for a little over 4 months.  Without boring you with a diatribe, my experience was incredible - never before have I learned so much about culture, language, religion, myself, and a whole host of other things in such a short amount of time.

What does this have to do with marketing, you might ask?  Well, these photos (taken by yours truly) demonstrate some of the incredible Islamic design work accomplished by Moroccan artisans at large. To think, what these guys could have done with modern tools and a world of demand recently for Moroccan aesthetics!

Also, keep in mind that there are over 1.3 billion Muslims in the world... we could learn a lot about reaching an audience!

Also, as an Account Executive whose primary responsibility is to communicate effectively - I can think of no better gauntlet to hone that ability than being dumped into the middle of a country as linguistically fragmented as Morocco.  Not only is Arabic mixed with French (and Spanish, in the North and extreme South), but there are 3 distinct Berber (indigenous language) dialects mixed in depending on which region you find yourself in.  Case study: I spent some time in a rural village with city dwellers (native Moroccans), who were often unable to communicate effectively with the other Arabic-speakers from the area.

Nevertheless, that struggle is precisely what made my time there such a beneficial adventure.


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Genrocks Filmography 2010 - HOT FIRE

12.16.10

this is simply a must watch...the premise is one beautifully cut piece which represents the creative feats accomplished in movies this year.

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LACOSTE L!VE has its Finger on the Pulse

12.10.10

All of us at RJW Collective are getting super-excited for this weekend at the LACOSTE L!VE store in SoHo (134 Prince St). Not only is an incredible collection of exclusive footwear being released, but RJW had the incredible pleasure of putting our client together with Finger on the Pulse, a delightfully talented DJ duo (who happen to be twins!).

ArtBattles artists will also be exhibiting their talents on tshirts as well as some installations around the store.

Be there or be square.

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Alex Trochut

11.29.10

This is the art of Alex Trochut, a featured artist on designporn.ca His illustrations are a heady mix of Hokusai and Si Scott.

His work is interesting in that he showcases his process for each project, e.g: http://www.alextrochut.com/#/works/arcade-fire. Most of his projects are type-based, but organic and unique. He also has a featured Zune original decal: http://www.alextrochut.com/#/works/zune-originals.

Must see: http://www.alextrochut.com/

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Botched Restoration I

11.26.10

Last night I went to an art gallery opening in Chelsea where a friend of mine works. Edgy contemporary artist Robert Attanasio curated a show titled Evidence (and exhibited many of his own works). Attanasio's raw outlook on life and disdain for purely aesthetic works of art created a fun and unpretentious atmosphere, which is sometimes hard to come by on Thursday nights in the Chelsea gallery area. One of my favorite works was titled Botched Restoration I. For any of you who have heard of uber-celebrity status artist Jeff Koons, this work might look familiar to you: only with a twist. Jim Kempner Fine Art used to have Jeff Koons Puppy ceramic vases as part of their inventory. When one arrived shattered, Attanasio saw huge potential. He glued the pieces back the together, creating a cool piece for the show.

Take a look at the before and after pics below.

Botched-Restoration

The show will continue through January 8th, 2011; I highly recommend checking it out if you have some free time!

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Emergency Used Candles

11.22.10

This Friday night I attended Bare Foot Theater Company's production of Emergency Used Candles at the Cherry Lane Theatre in the west village. The highly emotional and often hilarious one-woman show featured a breathtaking performance by the show's understudy, Samantha Fontana. Ms. Fontana expertly delivered each unique character voice with all the charm and skill of a seasoned veteran with thrice her experience and left not a dry eye in the theater as the house lights came on and audience members struggled to find their words. The show itself is a story about the profound relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter, and the lasting effects they have on each other lives. The brilliant script, written by Chiara Montalto, is based on her own experiences growing up in Brooklyn as her grandfathers caretaker. Sadly, the show wrapped up it's month long run this past Saturday night, but this will surely not be the last you'll see of Ms. Fontana as EUC looks to only be the beginning of a very promising career.

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Daft Punk in Dazed And Confused Magazine

11.19.10

Check out The December 2010 cover story of Dazed & Confused featuring Daft Punk.

Dazed’s December issue presents a world exclusive feature and 3D cover shoot with robot dance titans Daft Punk. For two years, the French duo have been working on composing a soundtrack for Tron: Legacy.

DaftPunk

DaftPunk

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